Originally Posted By CaptainMichael <<<And yet in a little over a month Universal has sold out of Pigmy Puffs, various wands, Butterbeer mugs, $300 brooms... Apparently if you offer non essentials not available at your local Wal-Mart, you can make a tidy little profit in Orlando.>>> I love we now have facts to back up what we've been saying about Potter all along. I LOVE being right !
Originally Posted By CaptainMichael <<<^^^Cap, you have no idea how much I love this.>>> I'm pretty sure I do.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Neither of us are looking at it rationally, to be honest. You have your opinion, I have mine. You want rational, we need a 3rd party in here. << You called for Mr Rational?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I too love that HP is proving me right. Dumbing down the dining, selling walmart crap at an 80% mark up, no new innovation and dialling down the entertainment while discounting has kept me away from WDW and is never likely to draw me in. But as a lifelong die hard Disney fan (scrap that, I am realy an immersive theme fan), WWOHP has me seriously considering scrapping other vacation plans next year and going to Orlando, where I will stay at Marriott or Ritz Carlton for a fraction of the price of Disney. And we may only bother with a couple of days at Epcot and DAK and skip the rest of WDW. I thought I would never see that day. But WWOHP is offering great theming, a real e-ticket experience, unique shopping and dining.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Apparently if you offer non essentials not available at your local Wal-Mart, you can make a tidy little profit in Orlando.<< Some none essentials are more equal than others. Uni was wise in bagging the Potter franchise. When the economy is weak you need to offer something special. This has been lost on Disney which has been resting on its laurels for far too long.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> HE HAS ARRIVED! Deduce, kind sir. ;-) << I definetly see the appeal of Imagineering an attraction strictly on it's own merits, such as EE, and KS. No one can say these aren't fine attractions, and definetly exceed expectations for what they are. However, it is dificult to pass up on building an attraction that already has a fan base that might be in the millions. Just look at the Disney forums in general to see where the attraction to an existing characxter is strong. Folks are always complaing if such, and such character does not have it's own attraction. The perfect example is Harry Potter. You have an instant winner because of the pre-existing fan base. If the group over at Uni has just created him, you would not have anywhere near the excitment that has been generated. Playing off of an existing popular character vs. an all new product really depends on the quality of the ride itself also. All things being equal I think fan response would be much more to an already establish character, rather than something they are not attached to. It is great to have massive amounts of talent that come up with their own creations. However, sometimes it's prudent to give the fans what they really won't, and that is an attraction based off of a character that they already love, and identify with.
Originally Posted By dshyates I know I am just getting old, but there are no Disney characters that I can think of that would get me to plan a trip to the parks just based on the characters. For me in regards to Disney, It is more about the attractions and atmosphere.
Originally Posted By MPierce That's true enough that there's no Disney character that can generate the excitment, and fan base Old Harry has for Uni. However, I bet if Disney were to go ahead an announce the commitment to Beastly Kingdom, they would steal some of that thunder from Uni. They might even convice you to go Dave!
Originally Posted By -em >> I bet if Disney were to go ahead an announce the commitment to Beastly Kingdom, they would steal some of that thunder from Uni.<< They can announce all they want but they have to deliver it to count... You can hype and brag about something all you want but when it opens and its just a mere shell of what was announced... To me somehow I have a gut feeling that the FLE is just going to be a mere shell of what they've hyped and we will get some pretty buildings with not much inside...
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<To me somehow I have a gut feeling that the FLE is just going to be a mere shell of what they've hyped and we will get some pretty buildings with not much inside...>> That's what they've been trying to hype from day one, in my opinion.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 A deacon at my church went to WDW a week before I did and left the day after I did. He had the real DDP. I talked to him today and wow did they eat (wife and two kids). He also said it was full sunshine his first week. I'm jealous.
Originally Posted By dshyates "That's true enough that there's no Disney character that can generate the excitment, and fan base Old Harry has for Uni. However, I bet if Disney were to go ahead an announce the commitment to Beastly Kingdom, they would steal some of that thunder from Uni. They might even convice you to go Dave! " Of course I would go. How else can I say it sucks if I haven't seen it? Kidding, just kidding. I have actually been down to WDW twice I'm the past month. But it is only about 6 miles down the road and my parents gave me an AP for Christmas.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Neither of us are looking at it rationally, to be honest. You have your opinion, I have mine. You want rational, we need a 3rd party in here. << <<You called for Mr Rational?>> Mr. Rational? Mrs. Pierce says she calls you Mr. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (amongst other things I can't write here) ...
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I too love that HP is proving me right. Dumbing down the dining, selling walmart crap at an 80% mark up, no new innovation and dialling down the entertainment while discounting has kept me away from WDW and is never likely to draw me in.>> Guess what, Dave? Disney really doesn't want guests like you anymore. It wants guests who don't notice dirty walkways, wood chips for 'landscaping', buildings that aren't adequately climate controlled, menus that are the same across property (should I go on? ... or maybe go check out the latest pin releases?) <<But as a lifelong die hard Disney fan (scrap that, I am realy an immersive theme fan), WWOHP has me seriously considering scrapping other vacation plans next year and going to Orlando, where I will stay at Marriott or Ritz Carlton for a fraction of the price of Disney. And we may only bother with a couple of days at Epcot and DAK and skip the rest of WDW.>> If you do, I'll bet you'll actually have a great time! You can always spend six hours at the MK one day ... about what it's worth. <<I thought I would never see that day. But WWOHP is offering great theming, a real e-ticket experience, unique shopping and dining.>> Yep. And the rest of the park ain't bad either (although not nearly on par with its newest 'land').
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Some none essentials are more equal than others. Uni was wise in bagging the Potter franchise. When the economy is weak you need to offer something special.>> Disney doesn't offer anything special. It simply offers almost continuous and massive 'specials' ... (all the while raising prices at the same time ... because they have only the best and brightest making decisions at TWDC in the 21st century!)
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I thought I would never see that day. But WWOHP is offering great theming, a real e-ticket experience, unique shopping and dining.>> >>>Yep. And the rest of the park ain't bad either (although not nearly on par with its newest 'land').<<< I wouldn't say not nearly on par. Seuss Landing and Jurassic Park are close. HP takes the cake, but Seuss and JP are very, very well themed.
